The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-15
THE GREAT COKE STRIKE.
Fully 10000 Men Will Be Idle
Unless 1t is Settled.
Nearly All the Iron Mills in the
Country Will Shut Down.

A Chicago dispatch says that fully half a
million men will be thrown out of work
within the coming month unless the Con-
nellsville PENN coke strike is speedily set
tied, and there seems to be little pros
pect of a settlement of the trouble
No coke is being produced at present
in the PENNSYLVANIA coke regions, and
without supply of this fuel every blast fur
mace in the United States, with the exception
of the few run by natural gas, will be forced
to shut down OF bank their fires for an lndefl-
mite period
The blow has already struck Chicago. The
first concern to feel it was the Union Steel
Company, which has banked its fires throw
ing out of work 400 men. Having good sup
Div of iron, the rail mills are still running but
as soon as the pig on hand is exhausted they
will close also. and l, 100 more men will be
added to the idle list. The Calumet Steel
Company is the only prominent iron manu-
featuring company in the city that will not
be seriously affected This company employs
only about one hundred men i'll the blast
furnace works, and these will be the only
men to be laid off for while, as the mills
will be run with pig iron and do not depend
on the blast-fulnace metal for their material.
The Joliet Steel Company is fortunate in
having G. stock of coke on hand, and Is. there
lore, III posltlou u ruu ioi "Hiie iohSei'
1t is only a question OF time, however,
should the strike continue, when this com
pany will close also, AMI its thousands OF
employees be thrown out of work.
The worst blow of all to the iron industry
of Chicago is the fact that the North Chicago
Rolling Mill Company will close its works i'll
a week. throwing 5000 out of work and leav-
ing their families without income. 1T looks
like very serious thing just now" said Mr..
j. c. Parks, General Manager of the conf
pany. There is nothing to be done. We
cannot run without coke. and we cannot get
coke, so we must shut down. We are very
sorry to do it. Our relations with our men
have been pleasant, business has been very
good, and the stoppage of an immense
enterprise like ours means an immense
loss. We are only in the same fix, though,
that all iron works are that depend OH blast
furnace metal to rum Those places that can
run on pig iron may not have to close for
while, but the outlook just now is anything
but cheerful The Virginia coke is not good
enough and there is not enough OF it to run
our works."
j. c. Strobel of the Keystone Bridge
Works, who has an Office at the Chicago head
quarters of Carnegie Brothers, said: Il think
acontinuance of the trouble will paralyze the
iron business OF Carnegie's business only
know through Mr.. Fleming, but think they
will be obliged to shut down if the trouble
continues, Notwithstanding the fact that
Mr.. Carnegie is largely interested in
coke production and has an advantage ever
other iror-masterS in that respect. No other
coke can take the place of the Connellsville
article. and when blast furnaces cannot get
it they must close, and not only they, but all
the immense Pittsburg mills. The outlook is
very blue. unless something can be done to
settle the strike.